1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for electrolyzing an aqueous solution, particularly of an alkali metal halide. The apparatus is suitable for producing hypohalite (e.g., hypochlorite, hypoiodite or hypobromite), halate (e.g., chlorate, iodate or bromate), perhalate (e.g., perchlorate or periodate), iodine, bromine, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, an alkali metal hypochlorite is obtained by electrolyzing the alkali metal chloride in a non-diaphragm electrolytic cell, whereby the chlorine formed at the anode is reacted with the alkali formed at the cathode. An alkali metal chlorate is also formed by the reaction between hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite, and can, therefore, be produced by electrolyzing the alkali metal chloride under the conditions which promote the aforementioned reaction. Iodine, hypoiodite, iodate and periodate may be produced by electrolyzing sodium iodide, bromine, hypobromite and bromate by electrolyzing sodium bromide.
The non-diaphragm electrolysis of halides cells for an apparatus which is easy to operate for decomposing the halide effectively and economically with a high current efficiency without occupying a large floor space is desired.
Electrolytic apparatus are known comprising a plurality of vertically aligned electrolytic cells divided by partitions, with each cell provided with an anode and a cathode, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 28104/1977 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,281), and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 31873/1972 and 100998/1978 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,449).